The candidate is an Assistant Professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center with education and experience in human genetics (cytogenetics, gene mapping and genetic counseling), as well as in cell and molecular biology. The award would allow the candidate to pursue career goals focused primarily on biomedical research in human gene mapping and the functional organization of the genome. The candidate's career is at a pivotal point when several years invested have resulted in successful methodological approach for mapping single genes (or their primary transcripts) with high-resolution on metaphase chromosomes and within interphase nuclei. The powerful potential of this approach has created compelling new research opportunities in several related areas, and hence increased research demands. The technology provides significant advantages in resolution, speed and convenience for gene mapping on metaphase chromosomes. Moreover, fluorescent gene mapping within decondensed interphase chromatin makes it possible to resolve sequences separated by less than 100 kb, allowing rapid approximation of physical linkage across a broad range of genetic distances. The candidate recently has received NIH funding to pursue this research, the primary objective of which is to characterize the limits of resolution and accuracy of the technology using the well-characterized dystrophin locus as a model system. Later the utility of the technology will be demonstrated in a collaborative effort to order clones or screen for those lying between flanking markers of a specific disease gene, such as familial polyposis coli. Because a strength of this technology is that it simultaneously provides information as to three-dimensional organization, the research goals include addressing fundamental questions of chromosome and nuclear organization, as well as developing the clinical potential for "molecular cytogenetics." In brief, the current research opportunities presented to the candidate are strong and compelling and it is especially important that the value of this technology to human gene mapping be explored and demonstrated in a timely fashion. So her efforts could be devoted to this overall project, the candidate has recently established a fully independent laboratory which has rapidly grown from two members to six. The RCDA would greatly facilitate research progress by alleviating substantial and growing teaching and departmental responsibilities which drain time from research.